Dawnbreakers by The LifeBeats Project

After 8 months, I have dusted off my microphone to share pieces with you about where I have been since May, what I am doing now, and what is to come for me and for you and me.   I speak of the importance of wintering in our lives and the role it is playing as I grieve and heal through my second divorce.  This will be the final episode of Season 3 but not of Dawnbreakers.  The future is is bright for you and me when my spring comes again.

Show notes:

Kim Christenson “Talky Word to Me” 

“Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times” by Katherine May

Dawna Markova quote

*some links may provide a “thank you” to me if you decide to purchase from them

Friends this is one of my very favorite interviews. I am so honored to reshare from the LifeBeats Library a conversation with Dawnbreaker Andy Proctor of the podcast “More Happy Life” as he honored our community by sharing something he hadn’t shared publicly this fully.  I know he will be met with respect and love.  Andy shares his and his wife’s spiritual journey and the events that have led to them questioning everything they have believed, spurred by the hospitalization of his wife due to delusions and psychosis.  Andy lovingly describes what she experienced and their path of uncertainty but desire to believe in God.  He shares the questions that remain unanswered for him and what he is looking to understand.  Andy shares the importance of thriving and having meaningful experiences especially during these critical moments of uncertainty and what he is currently doing daily to foster having a happy life.   We also talk about the idea of loneliness and belonging as the antidote and what we can do to feel that in our lives.  Friends, I know that you’re going to just appreciate Andy’s vulnerability and honesty as you think of your own questions or periods of uncertainty in life.

Listen and be inspired to think of and push through your questions understanding that you can still thrive in uncertainty, do those things that bring joy in your life despite the questions that you might have as you can move forward with a desire to know dedicating your time to finding the answers, and create meaningful connections with offline relationships.

Show Notes:

Andy’s website “More Happy Life”

Andy’s podcast “More Happy Life”

“The Happiness of Pursuit”

Friends I am so honored to reshare a favorite story from the LifeBeats Library. I am so excited to welcome back Season 1 guest, musician Paul Cardall and introduce you to the phenomenally talented and impressively self-aware Ellee Duke.  Together along with many other artists they have produced an altruistic album called Worth of Souls with songs written for the express purpose of fighting depression, preventing suicide, and anchoring people to hope in a loving and merciful God, no matter who that God is.  Ellee shares her own story that inspired her to write the song “Life Me Out” that I spur on her to sing on the show!  She has such a glorious voice and message.  Ellee tells of following her gut and turning down the chance at American Idol to pursue her own path in Nashville as an artist only to experience one of her darkest experiences in her life upon moving there and finding herself alone.  She had lost the friendship of the one person who knew everything about her, sharing a bond that she thought was unbreakable.  She found herself depressed, locked in her room, and not eating.  She had wanted her dream so badly but never realized the cost that came with getting what she wanted.  It was these feelings that she drew upon to write “Lift Me Out” in which she turned to God to help lift her out of this “war in her mind” that she couldn’t find a way out of, that inner battle of the negative and positive thoughts that had paralyzed her, to find a confidence that would propel her forward in her career to find her footsteps she couldn’t find or see herself.  She shares her foundation for her impressive self-identity as her confidence in being a child of God and her supportive family who taught her that she could do this!

Listen and be inspired to identify where your self-awareness comes from, to connect to your higher power and reach out for help during moments you just can’t see how to get out of, and to get out of the negative thoughts to focus on the life and people you have right in front of you.

Show Notes:

My LifeLine podcast – Process of Recalibration and obtaining & retaining a quiet mind

Ellee’s song “Lift Me Out” Music Video

Worth of Souls Project website and resources

Ellee Duke’s website

Ellee Duke’s YouTube and Instagram

Paul Cardall’s website

Friends I am so honored to reshare a favorite story from the LifeBeats Library. Dawnbreaker Rachel Nielson is the host of 3 in 30 podcast, a podcast for moms to give them 3 solid takeaways in 30 minutes.  Rachel shares her battle for having control in her life that lead to a decade long eating disorder emerging from dealing with the health decline and death of her mother at a young age to her battle with infertility.  She goes from one extreme of excessive running and starvation to lying to her husband to sneak away to eating multiple drive-thrus.  After fighting long and hard to bring children into her family, upon the arrival of her child she came to the realization that she was done treating herself like that and no longer wanted any hidden shame.  Rachel provides a fascinating insight into her own mind during that period of battling with her eating disorder as she moves through narrative therapy by personifying and giving a voice to it.  So compelling to hear how poorly we treat ourselves and helps us to identify and rid ourselves of any similar thoughts.

Rachel shares how counseling and living true to who she actually was through living out her desires and passions helped turn around her negative thinking and need for control.

Rachel then shares the next part of her chapter that she has never shared before, how she fears for a tailspin back into her eating disorder, how it has been placing a strain on her marriage, what she hopes will come from sharing it, and how we can support her.   In the spirit of sharing, I also reveal something about my divorce I have not since spoken of.

Listen and be inspired to remove shame in your life by bringing things to the light, realize we don’t have to have the perfect plan to start making changes, and to support others by not trying to fix them but by loving them.

Show Notes:

Rachel’s podcast 3 in 30

Rachel’s Instagram feed 

Rachel’s article “The Surprising Way I Confronted My Eating Disorder”

Rachel’s podcast in which she read the narrative

Today I have the honor of bringing you another video podcast episode in the Stiry Studio with another inspiring and life conquering guest. Jodi Orgill Brown is a national speaker, non-profit consultant, and author whose life experiences have taught her the importance of the unique worth of each individual,  taking charge of our own lives, cherish each day and each relationship, as well as pressing on to find a new normal.  During her “white picket fence” time of life, she calls it, in which she had the husband, kids, schooling, certification, had her dream job, house, she began to have debilitating symptoms that revealed a brain stem tumor that her doctor told her he wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole.  After having her scans distributed throughout the world, the unique connections of one individual brought her to a doctor who saved her life.  Complications after multiple brain surgeries resulted in facial paralysis and a serious infection that nearly took her life and brought her to a place in which she had to make a decision to live and take charge of her own life.  After leaving the hospital she also left with the very same symptoms that brought her there, the nerve damage had been done and she found herself dealing with depression but once again found a determination to press on to find a new normal and be a part of the solution to help others dealing with depression by writing a book.

Listen and be inspired to have gratitude for the every day things and people in your life, see the worth of each individual and the unique value they contribute, trust your inner voice and take charge of your own life, be a part of the solution, and to press on in new life circumstances and find your new normal.

Show Notes:

Jodi’s website

Jodi’s social media: Facebook, Instagram

Email Jodi: [email protected]

Jodi’s books: “The Sun Still Shines: How a Brain Tumor Helped Me See the Light” and “Rise Above Depression: Encouragement and Tips From Those Who Do It Everyday”

Friends I am so honored to reshare a favorite story from the LifeBeats Library.  On today’s show I have the absolute honor to bring you the guest that over the past years has been the most requested person that I interview.  The stars have finally aligned and she is with me today on the show.  You will instantly hear the warmth, humor, and passion in her voice and know why.  Natalie Norton is force in this world, she is a writer, photographer, speaker, and life consultant, and the energy behind her newly launched podcast “Show Up”.  Her story is as deep as the passion she has found in her calling to help others see & feel their inherent capacity & worth & to take ownership of that sacred responsibility that comes as a result as then help empower them to live in that highest purpose & potential in their own businesses and lives.  Sounds powerful?!  You better believe she is.  Today we speak to so much of that – leaning in with courage, opting out of ghost worries, and knowing your best is good enough and you are going to be ok – we do this through relating both of our stories, me struggling and making mistakes as a single mom but also being enough for myself and my children, and Natalie drawing upon her wealth of experiences from her own incredible story of years of loss and tragedy, losing her only sibling, then her son, then separation from 3 adopted children, then a mini-stroke, followed by the severe accident of another son.  Friends can you even imagine?!  Natalie is a testament that it is our response to difficulty that determines the quality of our lives. She knows that ⁣it can be really hard, but each of us has what it takes and we truly can find happiness & peace, no matter what life throws our way.⁣

Listen and be inspired to lean into life with courage no matter the circumstance, to opt out of those ghost worries that distort reality, to see the greatest gift of becoming self-aware is the trust we gain in ourselves, and to know that your best is always good enough and you are going to be okay.

Show Notes:

Natalie’s video “Show Up”

Natalie’s Instagram feed

Natalie’s Instagram post that shares a synopsis of her story

Natalie’s blog

Friends I am so honored to reshare a favorite story from the LifeBeats Library, Dawnbreaker Nicole Breanne Shabada of Finding Sparkle, Chasing Light who shares her lifetime journey of finding a way to honor and celebrate her passion – people!  She also tells about the most devastating thing that has happened in her life and how it helped her to see that kindness is not a weakness, but the greatest strength you can possess and demonstrate to others.  Nicole shares how she grew up in chilly Canada dancing and the vulnerability which that taught her.  Her senior year in high school she created a montage of their dance trips & performances which was shown at their final recital.  Watching the emotional impact her video had on others – their eyes light up, the laughter, the tears – made her want to help people feel that again and again.  This sparked Nicole down a path, moving to LA and then to Toronto to get her degree in film, to then work in the TV world.  She soon discovered that it really was all about the people for her.  She began pursuing more of her photography but found that her clients were asking her questions about about starting a business and Nicole loved teaching them.  Nicole decided to fill the need herself for an affordable workshop for entrepreneurs to learn the basics of starting a business, and Bot Communications was born.  Nicole shares how she met a boy at the age of 19 who swept her up in a fairytale love story, whom she would marry at 23.  Nicole shares how she felt herself growing up with him, what his influence was in her starting her business, and what she was most grateful to him for.  She then tells of the series of events in 2016 in which she learned that he no longer wanted to be married to her and the 1 1/2 year long affair he had been having with someone Nicole knew.  Nicole was completely devastated and could not function.  Despite this devastation Nicole choose to treat him with kindness knowing that if she stopped being kind, he would have taken away something from her that made her her.  She had already lost of much of herself in all of this, so much of her identity and dignity, that if she stopped being kind, that would have been one more thing taken from her.  This led to her journey to understand that kindness is not a weakness but a strength.    That it takes more effort to be kind in hard situations than to not be.  From this experience Nicole has created a workshop for teen girls called Kind is Strong and a 7 day program for entrepreneurs called Find your Sparkle.  Listen and be inspired to face your world with more kindness – toward others, the planet, and yourself.

Want to know if this episode it for you?  This episode is perfect for someone who has been affected by someone else’s choices and is looking to find the strength to respond in kindness.  It will give hope and comfort to those who may be going through relationship difficulties or a divorce.  It is inspiring for those who are seeking courage to be kind, even when its not easy.

What is this episode about?   In this episode you will learn about:

Show Notes:

Nicole’s Instagram feed

Nicole’s website

Finding Sparkle, Chasing Light Instagram Feed and Podcast

Kind is Strong’s Instagram feed

Altitude Summit

Friends I am so honored to reshare a story from the LifeBeats Library.  On today’s podcast I am so excited to bring you such a fun and inspiring episode with two of your favorite people, well actually 3.  Nellie & Bryce Jurgensmeier also known to their YouTube and Instagram communities as The Jurgys joined me in the Stiry Studios along with their darling little girl Avalyn who makes her little self known to the world.   In the episode we explore stepping out of your comfort zone to embrace life, creating home wherever you are, the importance of revalidating your purpose, stepping into who we are meant to be, the necessity for pausing and making time for those most important relationships, and how it is a boss time to be a woman.  Nellie shares how having a cancer scare and a very powerful dream changed the trajectory of her life to step out of what was comfortable and embrace every moment.  Bryce and Nellie share that that led to the beginning of their video and YouTube journey and their desire to inspire others to get out and find adventure with their loved ones, knowing that life can change in an instant.  They share the struggles of maintaining their own relationship amidst being business partners and then becoming parents, and particularly after buying an RV to live in and travel the country to hide treasures and meet people along the way.   They share stories of wanting to return the RV, losing the relationship they had with one another, wanting to quit, and why they keep going and what they have done to grow strong together.

Listen and be inspired to be audacious in stepping into who you are and what you are meant to be, foster quiet in a loud world, and find adventure and inspiration with those you love outside of your phone and comfort zone.  As well as what is coming up in The Jurgy’s next adventures.

Show Notes:

The Jurgys YouTube channel

The Jurgys Instagram Feed

The video podcast with The Jurgys

Friends I am so honored to reshare a story from the LifeBeats Library.  In today’s podcast we will be discussing those disruptive moments in our lives that shift our identity, viewing our family as a business, how we as women can become Chief Home Officers and contribute to the wealth creation and management of our home, and how to teach our children about money and finances through our words and how we involve them in our family business.  I am honored to introduce you to Natali Morris, broadcaster, writer, speaker, and co-founder of Financial Freedom Academy. Natali shares her story of transitioning from being a public figure as a reporter for NBC, CBS, and The Today Show to becoming a wife and mother and how she struggled with her identity and worth and how she labored to learn how she could contribute equally in her home.  She speaks passionately about wanting women to not simply be the budgeters, password keepers, or administrators in the finances of their home, but to become a C-level executive as a decision maker simply by starting where you are and taking one small step at a time knowing you will be inspired to know that next step is for you. She shares tools as well as her experiences as a busy mother of 3 in our consumerist culture in continually teaching her children how to value and understand money and what it means to be a contributing member of the family as well as avoiding a fear based concept of money.

Listen and be inspired to see those disruptive moments in our life as opportunities to redefine our identity, take your finances in hand one step at a time knowing you will be inspired on each next step, and intentionally teach your children how to be contributing members of your family and resourceful and wise in how they see and use money.

Show Notes:

Natali’s blog

Find out more about Natali’s Financial Freedom Academy

Natali’s Instagram feed

Friends I am so honored to reshare a story from the LifeBeats Library, Dawnbreaker Tiana Swank who has overcome unthinkable things in her life and has come to a place of forgiveness and self-love.   She shares her journey of heavy drug use, dealing, being arrested, prostitution, miscarriage, and physical abuse, that began with a desire to want to belong and receive positive attention after being bullied as a young girl.  Tiana tells of the decisions that seemed so natural to make that led her on her downward spiral and then how those pieces of her soul that she had lost began to return to her.  She shares of the light that began to return upon seeing her self-worth, bringing God and prayer back into her life as well as the tools of self-talk, knowledge, and understanding that she used to be able to forgive herself.

Last week we at Stiry released her video story entitled “forgiveness is possible”  and friends my heart was so touched.  In it she asks the question “How can I forgive myself for all these things I have done?”  I am so honored to be able to share more of her story with you today.

Listen and be inspired to seek for knowledge and understanding in your life to put you on a path of forgiving yourself, to utilize the power of self-talk, and to see that you have divine worth.

Show Notes:

Tiana’s blog “From Which We Grow”

Tiana’s Stiry Story “Forgiveness is possible”

Connect with Tiana on Facebook

Email Tiana at [email protected]